Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced Monday they have accepted President Donald Trump's invitation to meet with him and Republican leaders on Thursday to discuss the year-end agenda.
The decision to meet with Trump comes after Schumer and Pelosi skipped a White House meeting last week after the president suggested in a post on Twitter that lawmakers were unlikely to reach an agreement to avoid a government shutdown.
"We're glad the White House has reached out and asked for a second meeting," Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement. "We hope the President will go into this meeting with an open mind, rather than deciding that an agreement can't be reached beforehand."
They added, "As negotiations with our Republican counterparts continue, we are hopeful the President will be open to an agreement to address the urgent needs of the American people and keep government open."
Schumer and Pelosi said lawmakers and the administration need to reach a budget agreement that equally boosts funds for the military and key domestic priorities, including the opioid crisis, pension plans and rural infrastructure.
The Democratic leaders also said there needs to be an agreement on providing protection for illegal immigrants that were brought to country as children that also includes tough border security measures.
The scheduled meeting will come just one day before a December 8th deadline to avoid another government shutdown.
Reports suggest lawmakers are likely to pass a short-term spending bill to prevent a shutdown and provide time to negotiate longer term funding legislation.
by RTT Staff Writer
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